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A new ZOiS report takes a closer look at an understudied group – Russian Canadians – and reveals contradictory tendencies: While their political views are broadly similar to Kremlin positions, in other areas the connection to Russia is far more tenuous.
Canadians with a (Soviet) Russian background represent a small and frequently overlooked minority in Canada’s multicultural society. In the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the Kremlin’s targeting of its compatriots abroad, it deserves more attention. A new ZOiS report maps the contours of this group by analysing its views on politics, history and society relative to the wider Canadian population. It also sheds light on dynamics in families with and without a (Soviet) Russian background and points to key differences in how history is passed on from one generation to the next. The report is based on a survey of over 2,300 Canadians, including over 500 respondents with a (Soviet) Russian background. The survey was complemented by 16 focus group discussions with more than 60 participants.
Pro-Russian and disenchanted with democracy
Unlike most other Canadians, Russian Canadians in the study tend to disagree with the view that Russia is solely responsible for the war in Ukraine. Most respondents with a (Soviet) Russian background also buy into the Kremlin’s narrative that the war is a justified response to Western aggression. This is particularly true of those individuals who were socialised in Russia and less so among their offspring who grew up in Canada. The divergence from the broader Canadian population, where only around 20 per cent think the war protects Russia’s legitimate political interests, is striking.
The respondents who are part of the Russian diaspora in Canada are generally more sceptical than the overall population about democracy as a form of government. Second-generation Canadian Russians in particular tend to be critical of democracy. "Among other things, frustration with Trudeau’s government might have coloured their views of the democratic process and made Russia’s authoritarian system appear more appealing", says Félix Krawatzek one of the authors of the report.
Indifferent to (Soviet) History
The understanding of historical events like World War II among Canadian Russians who were socialised in (Soviet) Russia remains indebted to Soviet-era historiography, with its emphasis on Nazi atrocities and the role of the Red Army in liberating Europe from fascism. Younger individuals with a (Soviet) Russian background have absorbed many of their parents’ narratives about the past. Indeed, the report finds that for younger Canadians with Russian roots, the family has been a more important source of historical knowledge than school. It nevertheless shows that (Soviet) Russian history does not have the same emotional charge for Canadians with a Russian background as it has for Russians in Russia. This suggests that in the case of the Russian diaspora in Canada, the Kremlin will have a hard time invoking patriotic sentiment through historical narratives.
Disconnected from Russia
For all the areas in which the views of Canadians with a (Soviet) Russian background seem to overlap with the Kremlin’s positions in the study, there are also signs of a disconnection from Russia, particularly among the young generation. Communications with people in the parental homeland are infrequent and visits to Russia rare. Language use further illustrates this trend, with English becoming dominant in the personal and professional lives of the second generation. There is also a marked shift towards Canadian cultural practices. "All of this suggests that the success of Russia’s attempts to influence its diaspora in Canada will be limited. It also demonstrates that the pro-Russian views of this group do not depend on a strong connection to Russia", Félix Krawatzek adds.
Félix Krawatzek, Hakob Matevosyan
Félix Krawatzek and Hakob Matevosyan: Russian Canadians: Views on Politics, History and Society, ZOiS Report 1/2025.
https://www.zois-berlin.de/en/publications/zois-report/russian-canadians-views-o...
Basement of a Russian Orthodox Church in Toronto
Félix Krawatzek
Félix Krawatzek
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Basement of a Russian Orthodox Church in Toronto
Félix Krawatzek
Félix Krawatzek
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